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Tip for Christmas Day

Or the day or week after…by the time you have read all the bridge books you have been given for Christmas. “What, you did not get any? Then, read on. Glad to be of service.”

Today’s tip is… Watch them pips

No, not in the grapes or cherries you are (over) eating but in those difficult contracts you are playing. “Why” you asked West “did you lead the suit I opened? Would you like to take the lead back and try again?”

Of course, the unusual lead of declarer’s suit was the least likely and from declarer’s point of view, the toughest lead their opponent could have found:

East DealsNone Vul

♠

K 8 7 4

♥

K Q J 5 2

♦

8

♣

A 7 4

♠

10 9 3 2

♥

10 6 4 3

♦

Q J 5 2

♣

9

N

W

E

S

♠

A 6

♥

A 9 8 7

♦

K 9 6

♣

10 8 3 2

♠

Q J 5

♥

—

♦

A 10 7 4 3

♣

K Q J 6 5

West

North

East

South

Pass

1 ♦

Pass

1 ♥

Pass

2 ♣

Pass

2 ♠

Pass

2 NT

Pass

3 NT

All pass

(2 may not have been natural but checked for any delayed heart support from South.)

Not only did West lead a diamond but they led the 2 which went to East’s king. With two major aces to lose and only one certain entry to dummy, this put the contract in some peril.

South won with their ace and played J, ducked all round, and was followed by Q taken by East’s ace. Back came 9, covered by South's 10 with West's J taking the trick. South pleaded for West to cash their Q … but no such luck. Seeing declarer discard a heart from the dummy hand, West switched to a mediocre heart, covered and won by East’s ace. South threw 5.

East produced 6…and it was time to rev up the memory. Did you, like South, remember which diamond dummy had played innocuously at trick one and which diamond West had led as the opening lead? Hopefully, yes. It meant that if South covered that 6 with their 7 taken presumably by Q, then West’s 5 would be the 5th and contract setting trick for the defence. It would beat declarer's 3 or 4.

(apologies if you had too much Christmas pud and forgot that the ace had been played (by you!) let alone the 8.)

So, South ducked the 6 and noticed West gave them a wry smile. J was stranded in West’s hand as West could not overtake and South had just come to 9 tricks, two in each major along with five club tricks.

It’s not just the aces and kings of which you need to keep track. Sometimes, those little pip cards can be pretty important too.

Tip number 2. One helping onlyof pudding before your game of bridge….well, you are allowed two just because it is Christmas.